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Driver Killed by Falling Tree in NJ: Officials

A driver was killed by a falling tree in New Jersey Friday morning, according to authorities.

The 50-year-old woman was driving her Jeep Cherokee on Brookside Drive in Verona when a tree smashed into the vehicle, the prosecutor's office said. 

The woman, identified as Susan E. Niler, was taken to Morristown Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, She was alone in her vehicle at the time, authorities said. 

It's not clear what caused the tree to fall.

Earlier this month, a 21-year-old college student walking to her car outside her home in New Milford was killed when a tree split in half during a storm and struck her. 

On Tuesday, a giant 200-year-old oak tree smashed into two vehicles parked in a driveway in Summit, about 13 miles south of Verona. The trunk of the tree appeared to be rotted in that case, and neighbors said it was a good reminder to check on the conditions of their trees as summer storms arrive. 

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